Fox

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Fox has the ability to adapt to different conditions and this makes them master all climate zones and continents except the Antarctica.
Fox are widely known and can be seen in many countries, have bright appearance and always gets the human attention. When left in the wild, they can live up to 25yrs and only a few spend 6yrs alive.

Foxes

IDENTIFICATION

Order: Carnivora

Family: Corvidae

Genus: Vulpes, Cerdocyon, Dusicyon, Lycalopex, Otocyon, Urocyon

Color: Black,red, silver ,white, yellow,brown

Legs:4

Bites: Not poisonous

Nutrition:Carrion, meats

Movement:Do not fly

Size:60—65 cm of an inch,tail is 40-60 cm

Life span: 6 years

Region: Found throughout U.S. and other countries

Foxes are slender beautiful animals with long pointed snout. Their colours and size depend on the geographical location. There are more than 25 species of foxes known. Typically, the male foxes have a body whose length is 50-90cm, a height of 35-50 cm from shoulder and weighs about 2.5 – 10 kg. The females weigh slightly less. Its fur cover is dense, short and rough in winter, but soft, and luxurious in summer.

Forest fox has bright red coloured and reddish-orange throat and white chest. The backside of their ears and their front legs are black, and they have a red tail with a white tip. The ears of a fox are very magnificent and they can hear the movement of a mouse hundred meters away. Their sense of vision is poor and they primarily responds to sounds form moving objects, and they stand calmly so that there are not noticed.

Where foxes live? The habitats of foxes covers almost all of the tropical northern hemisphere part of north America, and far north of Africa.
The beasts occupy most of the natural habitats and different forest types, tundra, desert, arid areas and highlands. They also live in hot Arabian deserts.

Foxes are very sensitive and cautious animals. When they are being chased or in danger, they try covering their marks and enter in other places to mislead their purser. With this attitude, they are called the “cunning beast”.

The living conditions of foxes vary from forest to forest and vast forest areas, especially where the snow is much and the winter lasts long, they are rarely seen. Foxes are found in areas with dry climates and on dry riverbeds, covered with dead leaves. In some places, foxes prefer to settle down near humans.

Fox facts

Foxes can be called inactive beasts, and they always hunt different animals. Foxes has large plot of hunting, which typically covers 10-15km in diameter. A fox knows its territory and systematically monitor it. In winter, the move at a daily rate of 8-12km per average. With such distances, they have about four temporary places to rest and about fifty places where they stop and sit down.

Fox’s tails are very important to them. It helps them keep balance while running and also protects them from cold during the winter.

Foxes quickly climb on steep slopes and are great swimmers. They can climb trees that are sloped or have branches lowered

to the ground. They are mostly active at dawn and dusk. Nevertheless, in those place where they are not chasing after preys at different times of the day, they don’t show anxiety when they see humans. In the nastiest cases, foxes are noted by their extreme caution and amazing ability, moving away from the chase, obscuring traces and plays all sorts of tricks just to fool its pursuers.

What foxes feed on? Foxes are typically predators, but they feed on a wide variety of food. They feed on many animals and feeds on dozens of plants. They are mostly known for hunting down and eating rodents, particularly field mice. When hunting they appear to be dancing at a place, bouncing on their hind legs and striking the ground.

With this action, they frighten the rodents and make them come out of their burrows as they bounce on them. When they catch small rodents, they eat without stopping, but when they kill a large prey they take them aside, eats the a little and then buries the remaining in the earth. Unlike wolfs, foxes do not eat much. They usually eat 300-350 grams of meat daily. However, when there is abundance of small rodents, they don’t stop hunting them. After they have caught too many rodents, they don’t eat them rather they play like cats.

They often settle near big cities or suburbs and also in the city surroundings.

They also feed on hares, small birds, chicken and waterfowl. During the mass migration of locust, foxes feed on them too. When there aren’t any animals around to hunt, foxes attacks poultry. When summer and autumn come to an end, they visits gardens and vineyards, picking up the fallen apples, cherries, pears and cherry plums.

Foxes offspring. Foxes breeding season starts in the middle or at the end of the winter. At this point, the animals are greatly excited and full of life. Sometimes five to six males chase after one female and fights among themselves. When the breeding season is over, they begin to separate and live independently. Nevertheless, shortly before they give birth to babies again, the males start chasing the females again and fight among themselves once more.The expectant mothers clean up their burrows and spend most of its time in it, but when the babies are born, they are driven from the burrows by their parents that live together afterwards. The cubs are born with their eyes closed. An average of 4-6 offspring is born during a breeding season. Their offspring colours are covered with dark brown colour and the tip of the tail is white already. They grow and mature quickly. Within a period of two to three weeks, their eyes are open and their ears begin to develop. The babies begin to scout for food and their mothers too, but they tend to fall prey to predators. Just like wolfs, foxes with offspring don’t hunt near their burrows.
The babies grow quickly and their parents always return to their burrow from hunting and play during this period of raising them. They are been feed for a period of 6-7 weeks and as time goes on, the kids begin to attempt hunting on their own. The young females reach puberty faster and may begin to give birth to offspring the next year, but the male offspring might not start making babies until a year or two later.

Types of foxes

Fennec fox

These type of foxes are mostly found living in north Africa and in the Sahara desert and are distinguished by their large ears which does not just aid them to hunt better but also to cool their bodies from heat in the day time. Their fur is special, helps them in evading the scorching sun during the day, and keeps them warm at night.

Red fox

This type of fox is the largest and most widely known among all foxes. They can be found across Australia and across the northern hemisphere. They are very strong hunters and can even jump over a fence of 2m high.

Foxes run at a maximum speed of 50km/h

Marble fox

Artic marble fox is also a representative of the red fox species and their skin are used for fur.

Grey fox

These foxes lives in North America and their colour “salt and pepper”, together with their red face and black tipped tail makes them different from others. They are among the types of foxes that are capable of climbing trees.

Silver fox

Black and silver fox are actually seen as red foxes and are different only by their colour. There was a time in history that black and brown fox were considered the only valuable foxes that could be found. They are still breed by humans for their fur.

Artic fox

These foxes are found across artic circles and their thick furs protects them against very low temperature (- 70 degree Celsius). Their legs and snouts are short, keeping them warm.

Cross fox

This is another form of red foxes that can be found in North America mostly.

Are foxes dangerous?

Naturally people fear foxes. If you see fox in the day, there is no need for alarm. Naturally, a fox will flee away from you when it discovers your presence. They are easily scared away especially by throwing sticks, stones and other objects at them or by merely shouting at them.

They are not dangerous to humans except that they can infect humans with rabies. Fortunately, there are treatments someone can receive after being bitten by a fox that is infected with rabies and the treatment is effective if administered immediately after being bitten. If you live close to a forest, make sure you have vaccinated your pets so as to protect them and your family members from rabies infection.

What if a fox bites you? With soap and water, thoroughly wash the wound and consult your physician. To prevent rabies infection, inform the medical staff that a fox infected with rabies bites you. Report to your local division that are responsible for catching stray animals and also to the police so that they make the relevant option to catch the dangerous animal.

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